There will be no Empire Rockfest this year, says longtime event leader Mark Rashottel.

“We have been rockin’ Belleville for the last 13 years – From Classic Rock like Journey,Boston, Steve Winwood, Steve Miller, Slash (twice) to more contemporary acts like Glorious Sons, Weezer, Stone Temple Pilots, Billy Talent and Arkells. We’ve also featured some of our fine local talent on the big stage through the Music City initiative I began a few years ago,” said Rashotte. “2018 was one of the most successful Rockfest weekends we’ve ever had (I know some have had their own favourite weekend because of the act that played) but overall 2018 was one of the best for many reasons.”

“So I really wanted to up the game for 2019,” said Rashotte.

But he said he doesn’t put shows on just for the sake of putting a show on, spending 8-10 months each year sourcing out acts, looking at touring schedules, submitting offers to agents and artist managers across North America and working with his Empire Team work on arranging infrastructure, security, staging, tech “to bring you the best possible experience.”

Empire also donates many tickets to charitable organizations, and raises money during the event for charities “and we take that very seriously,” said Rashotte, who added that the event generates more than one million dollars in economic benefits for the City of Belleville.

Rashotte said it was not an easy decision to pull the plug on Empire Rockfest.

“For 2019, my team knows I’ve had lots of choices of acts, but for the first time in 13 years I have not been able to secure a lineup that lives up to The Empire Rockfest standard to get me excited enough to say Hell Yes,” said Rashotte. “I was even trying right up until last Saturday, May 11, 2019 at Canadian Music Week in

Toronto, to try and pull 2019 together. Although I had options, it was not the right mix to ask you to come out and support (the event.)